So, I told you I was making a gingerbread loaf cake in my last post.
These are a few of my favorite things:
1. Ginger
2. Molasses
Naturally, I love gingerbread and ginger cake in all forms. We're still in search of the ideal recipe for ginger cookies and cake that "blows your head off" with flavor as my husband says.
I'm going to experiment sometime with dried ginger, a bit of pepper (like the Germans use) and real ginger in a recipe.
Now molasses is one of those things I never had much of until recently. Like sweetened condensed milk, I didn't grow up in a family that used it for anything.
I love molasses.
I live in New England now. I suppose the two go hand in hand.
Did you ever have molasses popcorn? Now that's wicked good eating!
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
I'm here again
I'm sorry to have neglected my blog project. I don't think anyone reads this but that wasn't the reason I started this blog.
You see, I need the writing practice. My dream is to be a published author and write. But life and other little things get in the way.
But, I'm back.
I hope to publish more of these pages and get back to sharing my cooking tips with you.
Excuse me, my homemade dog treats are burning and I have a gingerbread cake in the oven.
Let's visit again, soon!
You see, I need the writing practice. My dream is to be a published author and write. But life and other little things get in the way.
But, I'm back.
I hope to publish more of these pages and get back to sharing my cooking tips with you.
Excuse me, my homemade dog treats are burning and I have a gingerbread cake in the oven.
Let's visit again, soon!
Friday, June 12, 2015
Falling in love with---
Bakers and want-to-be-bakers, today I will be talking about something you simply MUST become acquainted with if you want to learn how to make today's quick dessert recipe.
I never knew about this magical (bow down to the deliciousness) ingredient until about three or four years ago when I stumbled upon it (or some recipe containing it) while searching for a quick warm weather treat.
What is this mystery substance? Chances are if you come from a Southern USA background or a Hispanic/Latino culture you will all ready know about sweetened condensed milk. That little 14 ounce can of heavenly sweetness will bring joy to your baking and enable you to make some speedy and tasty pies using your refrigerator instead of your oven.
Summers get quite warm in the USA and our thoughts in June, July, and August turn toward ice cream and cold drinks. When air conditioning is scarce or expensive you do not want to stick on your oven but you HAVE TO have your sweets. Maybe ice cream is okay for you but when company rolls around, you need to keep a few tricks up your sleeve!
Back to sweetened condensed milk. Mixing this with a few other items creates a base for a decent pie you can doctor up or down depending on your preferences or the taste buds of your guests.
You can google the term "ice box" pies and get many variations on the theme of "mix it up and put it in the cold box" till it's ready to eat. Ice box sounds so---I don't know, 1940s...I'm thinking of well dressed people all wearing hats, listening to the Andrews Sisters, winning one for Winnie...(sorry, just channeling some past life?)
Anyhow, I can give you a very easy one to try when the weather gets too hot to bake. You just need a can of sweetened condensed milk (remember NOT evaporated!), a container of "Cool Whip" type substance (you can go as cheap as you want here), lemon juice, and a graham cracker or "cookie" based crust.
Now, this is not a health recipe because that "Cool Whip" substance is an artificial cream product that is not anyway related to real cream. I shouldn't use it. I should pony up for real cream but that is another recipe.
We're talking cheap recipe here. If you want to find something else, please carry on!
Okay, so you simply need a graham cracker crust which you can make or buy. If you have graham crackers in the house and some butter, a crust is VERY easy to make. (again, google is your friend).I've done it before and it's okay but (confession time) I don't own a rolling pin, so it was kind of hard to crush the cookies.
They say you can use a wine bottle but I don't drink alcohol. I will try it with a seltzer bottle next time.
Okay, so you have your crust. Just get out a big bowl, mix your canned condensed milk with 1/2 cup lemon juice and the "fake whipped topping." You just need the regular size whipped topping, not a huge container. Once you combine all these things, put them in the pie crust and stick the pie in the refrigerator for a few hours.
I dare you not to lick the lid of the condensed milk can...some people wax poetic about spooning it out and eating it from the can. Sometimes I leave a bit inside so I can scoop it out and taste it on its own. Yeah...that's what I'm talking about. Where have you been all my life?
Take it out when you are ready and enjoy. I think you can get about 6 decent slices out of one pie.
You can vary the pie crust, use lime juice, jazz this pie up with whatever. It's a good basic recipe that you can make your own. Play around with it. Some recipes will include raw eggs but I haven't worked with them in this pie yet. I'm a bit leery about eggs in recipes unless you cook them.
Last time I made this I froze it and it was quite good!
Make this one warm day and enjoy!
I never knew about this magical (bow down to the deliciousness) ingredient until about three or four years ago when I stumbled upon it (or some recipe containing it) while searching for a quick warm weather treat.
What is this mystery substance? Chances are if you come from a Southern USA background or a Hispanic/Latino culture you will all ready know about sweetened condensed milk. That little 14 ounce can of heavenly sweetness will bring joy to your baking and enable you to make some speedy and tasty pies using your refrigerator instead of your oven.
Summers get quite warm in the USA and our thoughts in June, July, and August turn toward ice cream and cold drinks. When air conditioning is scarce or expensive you do not want to stick on your oven but you HAVE TO have your sweets. Maybe ice cream is okay for you but when company rolls around, you need to keep a few tricks up your sleeve!
Back to sweetened condensed milk. Mixing this with a few other items creates a base for a decent pie you can doctor up or down depending on your preferences or the taste buds of your guests.
You can google the term "ice box" pies and get many variations on the theme of "mix it up and put it in the cold box" till it's ready to eat. Ice box sounds so---I don't know, 1940s...I'm thinking of well dressed people all wearing hats, listening to the Andrews Sisters, winning one for Winnie...(sorry, just channeling some past life?)
Anyhow, I can give you a very easy one to try when the weather gets too hot to bake. You just need a can of sweetened condensed milk (remember NOT evaporated!), a container of "Cool Whip" type substance (you can go as cheap as you want here), lemon juice, and a graham cracker or "cookie" based crust.
Now, this is not a health recipe because that "Cool Whip" substance is an artificial cream product that is not anyway related to real cream. I shouldn't use it. I should pony up for real cream but that is another recipe.
We're talking cheap recipe here. If you want to find something else, please carry on!
Okay, so you simply need a graham cracker crust which you can make or buy. If you have graham crackers in the house and some butter, a crust is VERY easy to make. (again, google is your friend).I've done it before and it's okay but (confession time) I don't own a rolling pin, so it was kind of hard to crush the cookies.
They say you can use a wine bottle but I don't drink alcohol. I will try it with a seltzer bottle next time.
Okay, so you have your crust. Just get out a big bowl, mix your canned condensed milk with 1/2 cup lemon juice and the "fake whipped topping." You just need the regular size whipped topping, not a huge container. Once you combine all these things, put them in the pie crust and stick the pie in the refrigerator for a few hours.
I dare you not to lick the lid of the condensed milk can...some people wax poetic about spooning it out and eating it from the can. Sometimes I leave a bit inside so I can scoop it out and taste it on its own. Yeah...that's what I'm talking about. Where have you been all my life?
Take it out when you are ready and enjoy. I think you can get about 6 decent slices out of one pie.
You can vary the pie crust, use lime juice, jazz this pie up with whatever. It's a good basic recipe that you can make your own. Play around with it. Some recipes will include raw eggs but I haven't worked with them in this pie yet. I'm a bit leery about eggs in recipes unless you cook them.
Last time I made this I froze it and it was quite good!
Make this one warm day and enjoy!
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Vegetarians in the House---please give me a break.
Well, I am supposed to be looking at new recipes for vegetarian meals and finding some great ideas (yet again) before we hit the supermarket tomorrow.
Good luck with that.
My husband is a vegetarian and my son is an almost vegetarian and I am not so it's always fun making meals at our house (not).
That's why after five minutes of looking for "new vegetarian main meal recipes" I was drifting over to a website promising the best cakes in the world. Looking at pictures of delicious chocolate ganche cakes filled with maple cream or cream cheese frosting is much more interesting than bean burgers or mushroom lasagna (bleh).
When you have to build a whole meal around vegetables, even nice ones like baked potatoes or corn--you see I can be flexible--it's very difficult for me. I tend to revert back to the same few recipes all revolving around black beans, some sort of red sauce, cheese, pasta, and the occasional casserole.
I know, there are plenty of terrific vegetarian meals--if only everyone like the same vegetables.
First off, my husband is quite easy to please and will eat anything or try anything without complaining. I think this quite good of him considering I have been making this bizarre and alien type of food for over twenty years. I actually admire him not eating meat. I love animals and do get guilty when I think about them being killed for food.
I admit I am weak. I am not giving up chicken or the occasional burger.
Anyhow, my husband has decided suddenly he hates all forms of pasta. Also he is not a big fan of rice.
Probably number two--my son is a HUGE fan of pasta. He would eat pasta, pizza, pasta, pizza, mac and cheese, pasta, pizza, and so on every day. He like black beans and rice, and has unfortunately inherited my sweet tooth.
Me--well, by dinner time I would grab a bowl of cereal and say that's over with, so let's just move on to something interesting. Or let's all eat some chicken and rice and maybe some corn and leave me alone to dream of cake or cookies or read my book or play a game on my computer.
Not going to happen.
My husband is pretty good about making his own meals when I get sick of doing it. His cooking is very basic and very boring. Beans on toast (yes, he is English), Or beans on toast with peanut butter. Stepping up the game.
Sighing, I return reluctantly to the vegetarian recipes Hopefully I will find something for once we all like. Otherwise, I guess there's always pizza.
Good luck with that.
My husband is a vegetarian and my son is an almost vegetarian and I am not so it's always fun making meals at our house (not).
That's why after five minutes of looking for "new vegetarian main meal recipes" I was drifting over to a website promising the best cakes in the world. Looking at pictures of delicious chocolate ganche cakes filled with maple cream or cream cheese frosting is much more interesting than bean burgers or mushroom lasagna (bleh).
When you have to build a whole meal around vegetables, even nice ones like baked potatoes or corn--you see I can be flexible--it's very difficult for me. I tend to revert back to the same few recipes all revolving around black beans, some sort of red sauce, cheese, pasta, and the occasional casserole.
I know, there are plenty of terrific vegetarian meals--if only everyone like the same vegetables.
First off, my husband is quite easy to please and will eat anything or try anything without complaining. I think this quite good of him considering I have been making this bizarre and alien type of food for over twenty years. I actually admire him not eating meat. I love animals and do get guilty when I think about them being killed for food.
I admit I am weak. I am not giving up chicken or the occasional burger.
Anyhow, my husband has decided suddenly he hates all forms of pasta. Also he is not a big fan of rice.
Probably number two--my son is a HUGE fan of pasta. He would eat pasta, pizza, pasta, pizza, mac and cheese, pasta, pizza, and so on every day. He like black beans and rice, and has unfortunately inherited my sweet tooth.
Me--well, by dinner time I would grab a bowl of cereal and say that's over with, so let's just move on to something interesting. Or let's all eat some chicken and rice and maybe some corn and leave me alone to dream of cake or cookies or read my book or play a game on my computer.
Not going to happen.
My husband is pretty good about making his own meals when I get sick of doing it. His cooking is very basic and very boring. Beans on toast (yes, he is English), Or beans on toast with peanut butter. Stepping up the game.
Sighing, I return reluctantly to the vegetarian recipes Hopefully I will find something for once we all like. Otherwise, I guess there's always pizza.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
No one was coming, but I baked a cake...
June is busting out all over (how many song references can I add today I wonder?) and after a few very hot days up here in New Hampshire, we have had some extremely cool weather. No wonder someone said somewhere that you never put your coat or jacket away in New England.
Anyhow, I took advantage of the break in the heat to do some baking this week. I bake to save money and because homemade breads, rolls, cookies, pies and so on taste better than ones you can buy. In the last two days I have made homemade pizza with homemade dough, chocolate chip muffins, peanut butter cookies, and today I made a cake.
Baking is actually my therapy. I don't do drugs, drink alcohol, smoke or use any medications if I can avoid them. Like many people, my family has some financial stress (thank you Recession) and I home school my wonderfully special son who has mild autism. I have a very lovely but needy Pointer Lab/Something Houndy dog who would prefer we walk all day instead of home schooling! I feel pulled in 50 directions some days and the only way I can get myself a bit calm is pulling out the cake pans or yeast dough and making something with my two hands.
I used to think that odd, but I read someone else says she does this, too, and I bet many of you do, as well.
Anyway----
The recipe of this cake, known all over the internet as Jessie Young's Radio Cake is not mine. It's Jessie Young's (you can read all about her if you google the lady). The whole idea of people visiting by radio out West seems fascinating. Maybe it's something other lonely people could adopt in the 21st Century-but visiting by Skype or something similar.
This is a good cake if you don't have any eggs in the house or if someone you know is allergic to eggs or just hates eggs. I rarely bake WITHOUT eggs but sometimes I do taste the batter mindlessly (bad, bad) because raw eggs can have salmonella.
It is a bit time consuming but you can do it in steps like I do when I can grab a few minutes here and there. The nice thing is the ingredients are probably in your home if you bake at all and you won't have to run to the market for some extract of coconut or other odd item you may only use once every year.
Enjoy!
Jessie Young's
Radio Cake
THE CAKE
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup sour milk or buttermilk
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
THE FILLING
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
TO MAKE THE CAKE: Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Preheat
the oven to 375 degrees. Cream the sugar and butter in a large bowl. Stir the
cocoa into the boiling water, then combine that with the sugar and butter. Add
the remaining cake ingredients one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Pour the batter into the cake pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a sharp
knife inserted into the center of the layers comes out clean. Cool the layers
in the pans on a cake rack.
TO MAKE THE FILLING: Mix the cocoa, cornstarch, and sugar in a
heavy-bottomed saucepan. Beat in the water and cook the mixture over medium heat
until it is thick and creamy. Remove from the heat, cool for 10 minutes, and
stir in the vanilla.
Turn the cake layers out of the pans and spread the filling on
one. Place the second layer on top.Use any desired frosting for the top, but
leave the sides unfrosted.
10 TO 12 SERVINGS
Saturday, May 23, 2015
I will not buy these organics--it is too expensive. (Monty Python fans can you guess the reference?)
Now, I am not going to go all artsy fartsy on you in this blog, fellow bakers. I do not stand on line at the local Co-op daydreaming of purchasing a dram of vanilla from Madagascar because "that is the best" according to some self important expert.
No, sir, I don't roll that way. I won't be saying I shop at the cool and happening hip grocery store where I can get organic limes 2 for 5 dollars or other such pretentious nonsense because:
1) I live in the real world where most of us buy what we can afford and if I had a spare $5 it would not go on limes (or whatever is "in" at the moment with the "happening crowd), and
2) I don't chase the organic rainbow, man. I just don't. Gasp--I've been known to shop at "Wally Mart" and the dollar store and Aldi and other cheap places. I will also buy items from the "very well known baking store in the state next door" if they have a sale on. Their baking mix is very good if you can get it cheap.
If you happen to have the money or LIKE organic stuff, more power to you.
Back on the soap box. Wow, this blog is my own little Speakers Corner.
Sometimes you cannot be cheap when baking. "What does that mean?" mutters the reader who is not in the mood for a lecture.
USE REAL BUTTER whenever possible. Sometimes a mixture of shortening and butter is good for icing (more another time) but for baking your bake-ables (made up word) use butter.
If you use margarine, don't...just step away from this page...and go.
Seriously, I may use it once or twice a year for "something" but overall, say it with me,
"I bake--therefore I use butter." (Thanks for the misquotation says René Descartes).
No, sir, I don't roll that way. I won't be saying I shop at the cool and happening hip grocery store where I can get organic limes 2 for 5 dollars or other such pretentious nonsense because:
1) I live in the real world where most of us buy what we can afford and if I had a spare $5 it would not go on limes (or whatever is "in" at the moment with the "happening crowd), and
2) I don't chase the organic rainbow, man. I just don't. Gasp--I've been known to shop at "Wally Mart" and the dollar store and Aldi and other cheap places. I will also buy items from the "very well known baking store in the state next door" if they have a sale on. Their baking mix is very good if you can get it cheap.
If you happen to have the money or LIKE organic stuff, more power to you.
Back on the soap box. Wow, this blog is my own little Speakers Corner.
Sometimes you cannot be cheap when baking. "What does that mean?" mutters the reader who is not in the mood for a lecture.
USE REAL BUTTER whenever possible. Sometimes a mixture of shortening and butter is good for icing (more another time) but for baking your bake-ables (made up word) use butter.
If you use margarine, don't...just step away from this page...and go.
Seriously, I may use it once or twice a year for "something" but overall, say it with me,
"I bake--therefore I use butter." (Thanks for the misquotation says René Descartes).
Because you have to start somewhere...
Welcome To My World of Baking
Did someone mention cake?
Hello and welcome to my much anticipated (by me) blog. I have been a self taught baker for many years and finally decided to combine my love of writing with my love of baking. I'm also very interested in what I call real food.
What is real food to me? Not processed food, I suppose. I really enjoy baking from scratch and spend a lot of time uncovering recipes that your grandma's grandma or mom probably made--One of my favorite cookbooks is from the turn of the century--The Fanny Farmer Cookbook. Of course, I like the really old ones with recipes that have a lot of butter and cream not margarine and light this or diet that.
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